Garlic planting

Farming, of course, is more than planting and picking for the next market or even the next few weeks.

Celery has been planted the first half of this week. It takes 3 to 4 months to grow ready to eat.

Garlic takes 6 to 7 months before it can be picked so we have to plan well ahead. Here is young Ed Morris (all of 87!) driving the tractor and Maria, on the planter, planting garlic for later this year. Ed just loves planting and watching plants grow so our workers go over and give him a hand and we sell some of his produce for him down at Eveleigh or Taylor Square in Sydney on Saturdays or Mangrove Mountain Country monthly markets up here (at Peats Ridge from now on).

We hope to show you photos of the growing garlic stages ahead.

Maria had to drop the cloves of garlic evenly into the hopper so she is leaning over using both hands to be accurate and keeping a beady eye on the spacing in the rows. She is 20 weeks pregnant but not asleep, as it looks on the first quick glance! She is such a thorough and careful worker Ed specially wanted her for this job.

Picking this morning, after a heavy storm yesterday evening, was bright and sunny and you can see the purple mustard peeking out of the green between Hannah, Josh and Steve.

Where’s Wally? No really it’s hard working Swedish William walking through Ed’s zucchini checking he has picked all as they grow like magic in this weather. If you miss one, in a week it will be as long as your leg! Swedish Hannah is picking spinach. They are great hard working couple we are glad to have here at present. The spinach is looking terrific so make sure you buy some and eat it fresh.

There’s lots of both domestic and wild rocket for you.

Persimmons are delicious as long as you wait till they are very ripe before you eat them. These are the astringent variety and not sweet and delicious till very ripe. Then, yum!

All the usual lines at this time of the year will be ready and waiting for you on the stall, Horta mix, salad greens, oranges and lemons, potatoes, corn, aubergines, cucumbers and so on.